My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Panache

Ok … review time

6/6/09

Venue: Carlyle on the Green: A+++++++++++++++++++++++

I could not have been happier with the Carlyle on the Green at the Bethpage State Park. It brings opulence and elegance to a new level and features the most amazing grand ballroom we have seen to date, a beautiful outdoor patio and gazebo which was just renovated this year and amazing grounds. The staff is unbelievably professional and are full time staff which we liked because we knew they wouldn’t be young and inexperienced. The grounds are immaculate and the interior is rich and inviting. They also had quite the reputation for their food and beverage service which we later found out was for good reason! I had my wedding a week before the US Open was held there which was the only problem we had. The State ended up tenting off the gazebo we were supposed to get married in which made us very upset but there was nothing the Carlyle could do about it so we resorted to a backup plan which was to have it in a different area outdoors overlooking the greens. There was a noise from the air conditioning system which was not exactly pleasant but the ceremony was great and no one noticed. Everything else was amazing. We dealt with Gary Schneider when booking and he was extremely accommodating and professional throughout the year and a half we were planning the wedding and up until the very day of the event. On the day/night of the wedding everything went according to plan and it ended up being a magical night that our guests insist was hands down the best wedding they have ever been to. The bridal attendants were extremely capable and made sure that all of our belongings and gifts were in their rightful place and that they made it home with me at the end of the night. They treated everyone in the wedding party like royalty and made sure that no ones glasses were ever empty which my family and I really appreciated! The food was AMAZING! People are still talking about the mashed potato bar and the chocolate molten lava cake in particular. We had so many compliments on all of the unbelievable displays of food and beverages that were served. We had the vodka luge and caviar bar which was a HUGE hit as well. They served infused vodka with strawberry or pineapple and it was simply delicious. We were able to pick any signature drinks we wanted and they ended up making the best drinks I have ever had. Once the ceremony was over we were taken to the bridal suite where they had laid out a sampling of all of the food from the cocktail hour so we could try it all before going into the party and getting bombarded by people who wanted to congratulate us. The ballroom was the picture of elegance and we had the amber intelligent lighting which was really great especially in the pictures. The setting was straight out of a fairytale and the hard-wood flooring, amazing windows and magnificent light fixtures take the ballroom to a totally different level than most places. All in all, the venue for our wedding was perfection. Yes, it was very pricey especially for a Saturday night in June, but you get what you pay for! The Carlyle’s website is http://www.carlyleonthegreen.net/

Band: Uptown Swing part of NYC Swing: A++++++++++++++++++++

Uptown Swing was AMAZING!!!!!! We received so many complements on the band that it was honestly crazy. We had three of the band members do our ceremony music and two others for cocktail and they were fantastic. We had 15 pieces for the reception which was completely over the top but it sure did pay off. Charles and Gidian (former American Idol contestant) in particular were incredible and very engaging. They knew exactly what songs to play to get everyone up and keep them up dancing on the dance floor the entire night. Except for when the entrees were served there were literally no people at their tables. Everyone was up and dancing and singing and having a blast. The band leader Dore is really passionate about music and he gets everyone really excited. The band sings all different types of songs and is willing to learn any song that you request even if they don’t already know it. They sat down with us before the wedding to discuss all the different things we wanted and songs we definitely wanted them to play and they played them all and didn’t miss anything. They really made the party and everyone had so much fun. I highly recommend this band!! Their website is http://www.nycswing.com/

Florist: Pedestals: A+++
I worked with Robert and his assistant Diane from the LI location and they were fantastic. I met with multiple florists and the only one who really seemed to understand exactly what my vision was and what I wanted was Robert. During the year and a half that we were engaged and planning our wedding we were in touch with them and he was extremely accommodating. I changed my mind a few times about some of the designs I wanted and he was always easy to talk to he understood all of the things I wanted. Their website was recently revamped and their pictures are really amazing. I had the most beautiful bouquet and the Chuppah we had was so romantic and really matched not only what we wanted but also the venue and setting. The centerpieces were gorgeous and lasted for weeks. They used the best and most fresh flowers imaginable and really brought my vision to life. I will upload pictures as soon as I get them on CD. Their website is http://www.pedestalsflorist.com/.

Photographer: Michaels Photography: A

I was happy with the proofs when we got them and I love that they took over 850 shots for us to choose from. We have not yet met to pick the pictures for our album but I look forward to doing that. We worked with Robert who was very nice and his office assistant Erica is a sweetheart. They helped us to print a bunch of family photos of grandparents, great-grandparents and parents wedding pictures for a display we had in the front hall (which was later moved into the ballroom) that said .. ‘A Long Line of Lasting Love’ and they also printed pictures of our two puppies in tuxedos to put in the bathrooms with a little quote on them. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the poses he had me do but that was really not a big deal and could have been avoided if I took more time to speak with him prior to the wedding but I live in CA so it was hard to meet with all the vendors ahead of time. All in all, the photographer was great and when the time came to take portraits they were very conscious of who was important and didn’t miss any family or friends. We have a bunch of really perfect pictures to cherish for a lifetime.

Boudoir Photography: Leanne Vorrias: A++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I worked with an AMAZING, well renowned photographer named Leanne Vorrias who shot Boudoir photos of me to gift my husband. They came out so elegant and were done in such a tasteful way and I could not be happier with the outcome! I am a bit shy when it comes to things like this but she made me feel so comfortable and I ended up having a really fun time. She also worked with me to have our engagement photo painted which came out to be absolutely breathtaking. We had the painting displayed at our wedding and it received an unbelievable amount of complements. She is a family friend and attended our wedding and brought her professional camera which was a huge benefit to me because she got some really amazing candid pictures. I don’t think she does events but she does hold photo shoots and her work is amazing and very upscale. She constantly has pictures hanging on the wall in her home of her photography that she changes often and they are always so magnificent and impressive. Her website is leannevorrias.morephotos.com.

Dress: Paradise Bridal: B

I made my mom drive all the way out on the island to exit 63 to go to Paradise Bridal because they had a trunk show for the designer I really liked. I ended up getting the dress I went there to see which was from the Blue by Enzoani collection. The shop was not exactly upscale but they did have a large selection and they were accommodating. We had them rush fittings because I was in from CA and had to do everything quickly and they were very nice about that. All in all I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them but I didn’t have an awful experience with them. They did have the perfect veil and head piece for me and the lady who handles that was very good at matching my dress and personal style with the products.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Macy's Herald Square: C

The bridal party dresses were Jasmine and we got them from Macy's. Not only did they mess up a few of the alterations but they were EXTREMELY slow to get everything in stock and screwed up a few of the appointments as well. Not happy BUT the dresses came out great at the end of the day so I cant complain too much.

Hair: Nancy Peterson from Salon Lissome: A+++++

Nancy is a complete sweetheart and she can replicate ANY photo you give her. She works at Salon Lissome on Jericho Turnpike and she does amazing things. I dont think she will come to you but if you are willing to go to the salon she is definitely who you should go see. I was very happy with the trial but when I came for the wedding I asked for a few changes and she did everything I asked for. She did such an amazing job and when I look at our pictures all I can think of is how much I loved my hair!! I don’t think they have a website but they are located in Huntington and you can look up the salon on google.

Make-up: Nikki from About Face: B-

My mother had me use her make up lady because it would save money by having her come to do us both rather than having two separate people come to do us. She did a decent enough job but I think it could have been better. My mom loved her make up so its probably just about preference.

Invitations: Party Panache: A+

We loved the women at Party Panache. They were very good at reading us and understanding what my tastes were and coming up with ways to give me the aesthetics I liked but at a good price. We told them we did not want to spend a great deal on invitations and printed materials and they were very understanding and accommodating. We ended up customizing the invitations at a very nice price and we were so happy with everything including the seating cards and programs. They were a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend them. I think they are by appointment only so you should call ahead of time if you want to visit their offices. http://www.partypanache.com/door/

Bathroom / Bridal Suite / Yarmukle Baskets: One L Designs : A++++

I worked with Hilary, the founder of One L Designs, to have my women’s, men’s and yarmulke baskets designed and created and LOVED what she did. It was so easy to work with her she was really able to get a sense for what I wanted and even let me pick out the fabrics and help to create the design. She can work on her own or with the help of the client depending on how involved they want to be but either way, the finished product is always extremely high in quality and just absolutely gorgeous. I would assume its not that normal to get people complementing you on your baskets but I definitely did thanks to Hilary. I highly recommend her! Her website is http://oneldesigns.com/default.aspx

Officiant: Rabbi Alan Stein & Father Callahan

I am Jewish and my husband is not so we had an interfaith ceremony that was absolutely beautiful. We asked for it to be slightly more Jewish but they did a really great job of sharing responsibility. They have worked together before and came highly recommended and they did not disappoint. We were told by many people that it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies they have ever seen. They both were very personable and added personal details they gathered from us in our pre-wedding meetings. They shared the stage beautifully and even went back and forth with the Rabbi saying his Hebrew and the Priest following it up with the English versions of the Hebrew. It was absolutely beautiful and stayed under 40 minutes which we very much appreciated.

Tuxedo Rentals: Mens Warehouse: A

We might have had problems with tuxedos but my uncles best friend is the vice charirman of Mens Warehouse so the whole order was overseen at the highest level and everything was great.

Misc tips:

Favorite wedding website for pictures and ideas was www.projectwedding.com

Number the back of your RSVP cards corresponding to invite list because you will have at least one person who is not smart enough to include their name.

Register at Bed Bath & Beyond because if you bring ANY items that you get from your registry back you have the option of getting cash back!!!! The items had to be purchased from your registry for this to be possible.

Good luck!

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Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

THIS IS AN AMAZING REVIEW!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

Thank you SO much for posting a recent review of Carlyle. Most are from 2007 and i am getting married there Sept of 2010. I have no doubt that the wedding will be amazing partly because their staff, service, food, setting is one of the greatest i've ever seen.

This was your only post but if you can I'd love to see more pictures!!!

Thanks again for the review!!!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

Thanks for sharing your review! Do you have contact information for your Rabbi and Priest? I'm in the same situation as you were and am looking for a good combo!
Thanks in Advance!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

I really cant stress enough how beautiful the ceremony was. It was short and sweet and they shared the stage like pros. Here is their information:

Rabbi/Attorney - Alan Stein 516-932-1800
Father Michael Callahan - 631 368-4119

Best of luck!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

Congrats...Thanks for sharing and I am glad everything had worked out.

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

Thank you!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

GREAT REVIEW!!! CONGRATS!!!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS REVIEW! We actually just booked Carlyle on the Green and were going back and forth between Todd Barrie's Gotham and Dorey's NYC Swing. This was soooo helpful. Did you go see Gotham at all? I am a very confused bride!

Re: My 6.6.09 Review! Carlyle on the Green, Uptown Swing (NYC Swing), Pedestals, Michaels Photography, Leanne Vorrias (Boudoir Shots), Paradise Bridal, Salon Lissome, Rabbi Stein, Callahan, Party Pana

Thanks so much for posting a review of Carlyle. We actually just booked Carlyle on The Green for March 2011. I am diffenty going to call Pedestals, NYC Swing and Party Panache for flowers, band and invitations.

Thanks for great suggestions.